Columns

Tomorrow, our nation will celebrate Memorial Day as we take time to remember those who have literally given their lives to serve our nation. Men and women, fathers and mothers, sons and daughters who signed up, served, and sacrificed. The idea of...

I can remember the marble wall was cold to the touch as I ran my fingers over the names of those engraved there.
The Vietnam Memorial in Washington, D.C., is just one of many monuments that stands today as a reminder of those we have lost through...

As the old saying goes, a picture is worth a thousand words.
In the case of the city of Ruston, murals and bulldog sculptures will help write the beginning sentences of the thousand-word opus that is the community.
The chain reaction began when the...

Mental illnesses are medical conditions that can disrupt a person’s thinking, feeling, mood, ability to relate to others and daily functioning.
Just as diabetes is a disorder of the pancreas, mental illnesses are brain-based conditions that often...

Doing business at Ruston’s City Hall is about to get a little harder.
Not that the folks who work there don’t want help constituents; they do. In fact, the changes that in the works started all the in name of making it easier for utility customers...

Memorial Day is a time for remembering those who fought and those who died defending the democracy of our great nation.
If you run into any of our troops, please stop to thank them and say a prayer for them as they go on their way.
Flag etiquette...

Looking for some great learning opportunities for your children this summer? Summer workshops that will teach your children skills that will last a lifetime? The LSU AgCenter, Area Nutrition agent, Cathy Judd and volunteers will present “Cooking...

At a recent charity event in Ruston benefitting the Pine Hills Advocacy Center, as the father of a victim of child sexual abuse; I was asked to give my testimony. Here are my remarks:
For the next five minutes, I’d like to speak to you about what...

Sometimes, a writer hits Ye Olde Block and the words just don’t want to appear on an iPhone, iPad or computer screen.
This is one of those times.
Maybe it’s a case of simply having too many subjects I want to cover and I’m in a quandary as to which...

Question: I pay a lot of insurance premiums and sometimes I just feel insurance poor. Is that unusual?
Answer: Sometimes stupid things spoken by clever people can sound very wise.
I suspect you’ve heard someone grouse about “all those premiums I...

You probably won’t see it on your calendar, but May 29 is 529 College Savings Day, or 529 Day for short.
This day, named after the 529 plan, a popular college-savings vehicle, is designed to promote people’s awareness of the need to save and invest...

Protecting your retirement nest egg and sustaining your retirement income are challenging enough. Taking precautions to help guard your investments from fraud is important.
People who are older can be common targets for fraud and financial crimes....

Louisiana has long been known as the world’s “incarceration capital.”
But if proposed legislation passes in upcoming weeks, the number of people behind bars in our state could significantly lessen, saving Louisiana millions of dollars in the process...

In a cute house on a quiet street in Grambling lives a couple who have shared more than 60 years of adventures and love.
As I pulled into the driveway, the Rev. Henry Island waved me inside and led me to the sitting room.
His wife, Clotie “Pete”...

Action definitely speaks louder than words.
State Rep. Helena Moreno, D-New Orleans, is embodying that statement with her recent approach to prevent opioid overdoes in Louisiana.
Moreno has been instrumental in helping reduce opioid overdoses in a...

Bella learned to ride her bicycle without training wheels last week.
It was a little tenuous at first; her daddy had to hold the back of the bike and push her off. But now, she cuts the turns in the cul de sac in front our houses like a mini Maria...

RSVP is an abbreviation of a French phrase meaning “please respond to this invitation.”
Why does it seem so difficult to respond to an invitation?
Obviously someone thinks enough of you to invite you to their special occasion.
If it is a formal...

The LSU AgCenter was proud to host more than 300 Lincoln Parish 4-H members, leaders, parents, and volunteers as they learned “Be 4-H Fit — Practice Fitness” at the 2017 Lincoln Parish 4-H Achievement Day held May 11 at the North Louisiana...

Later this year texting will celebrate its 25th anniversary. As for me, this month marks my third year of the text. Yeah, I’m a little behind the times.
Maybe that explains why I’m kind of annoyed by all the typos I — and others — make. Maybe I’m...

A serving of Lincoln Parish sports items with your Sunday morning cup of coffee:
As the most-stat heavy slot receiver in college football last year, there’s a lot to like about former Louisiana Tech University star TRENT TAYLOR. New San Francisco...